Stalked chapter 17
I will be working on a few more chapters, I'll do this before surfing the net after work and on my days off, we'll see how long that lasts, also I'm going to try dabbling in a couple of other fic areas, so please do bare with me.
As usual, no beta, so all mistakes are me, all reviews are welcome ^_^.
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The hub was relatively quiet, just occupied by three men and a pterosaur. Ianto was in the hubs little kitchen, washing the cups that seemed to breed like rabbits on the desks of everyone who worked there, but then again it wasn't such a huge step in logic, they were directly under a rift in time and space after all.
"Ianto, we're about to open this box, want to join us to document it?" Jack asked standing in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest as he gazed at the Welshman, who was dressed in jeans in a t-shirt, since it was the middle of the night he hadn't wanted to put on a suit, but it was too cold up here to stay dressed in his thin rumpled shirt.
"Just let me finish washing these and I'll get the clipboard and join you." Ianto replied looking at him over his shoulder.
"Alright." Jack said running a hand across the back of Ianto's shoulders in a comforting gesture. Ianto appreciated all the extra contact, it made him feel less disgusted about what had happened and he felt almost normal, compared to how he felt when Gwen or even Tosh would give him those thinly veiled pitying looks.
He placed the last mug, a horrid purple and pink monstrosity that Gwen had taken a liking to on the draining board and wiped his hands on the dish towel, he walked down into the main section of the hub and proceeded to his desk, opening the top draw, where he kept his more used supplies, notebooks, clipboard, stop watch and even a spare tie, which had come in handy more than once. He picked up a clipboard and placed in a small stack of paper and grabbed a black pen, ever the practical man he was.
"Ready when you are Jack." He said getting in position in between the men, who had moved to either side of the containment box in order to easily lift the lid.
"Alright then Owen, lift together and move the lid over behind the couch." Jack replied. He and Owen tightened their grip on the lid of the box and hefted it, muscles straining as they dumped the lid onto the floor. Ianto had his pen poised over the paper and was waiting to write down what Jack and Owen removed from the box.
"Alright, let's take a good look." Jack said pulling on a pair of very thick gloves, they were mainly a precaution, since he said it really hurt when your eaten alive by some of the things on some pieces of tech, Ianto really didn't want to have to ask his to clarify that remark, he'd just take the immortal mans word on it.
"So firstly we have a Marklenso gun, good thing none of us have 12 fingers or this thing would be very dangerous, that needs to be sealed in the secure armory when we're done please Ianto." Jack said placing the large item, that looked surprisingly like a huge hand held whisk with 12 holes and mini triggers on the coffee table so that Ianto could photograph it to go with the written data for the archives. He marked clearly in block capitals on his page that it needed to be SECURE.
"Next up, we have a Lockli pair of handcuffs, totally benign, just to be logged please Ianto." Jack said slipping them onto the table too.
This went on for about an hour, several smaller items, and a couple of very large items accumulated on the available work space and Ianto was still taking neat and detailed notes.
"Last one." Jack said breathing an audible sigh of relief; he had finally abandoned the gloves, claiming they were cumbersome and uncomfortable. He'd pulled an item out with difficulty and almost dropped it in shock. "THAT NEEDS TO DESTROYED NOW." Jack yelled holding it away from his body. Both Owen and Ianto looked shocked at the outburst.
"What is it Jack?" Owen asked both slightly frightened and intrigued.
"A torture device that should never have been created." Jack replied. Ianto nodded to Jack; if the captain was so against it then it had to be removed right away.
"Let's get it in the incinerator then." Ianto suggested.
Jack nodded and the three men headed down into the darker depths of the hub, the walls sodden and dripping echoing along the corridor, which was almost featureless. Owen noticed only 1 plaque on the wall, declaring proudly 11-2 in muddy brass.
"11-2." He wondered aloud.
"Trust me; if we went through everything it would just confuse you." Ianto replied, opening a very heavy, riveted door. A small circular window had been blacked out and Owen was almost blinded at the sudden spill of fire light.
Jack and Ianto didn't hesitate to enter and Owen quickly followed, he hadn't been down here before, there was never anything down here. A large burner was working away busily. Ianto put on a huge pair of heat resistant gloves and opened the door with a poker, Jack quickly tossed the large item in and Ianto slammed the door shut, it locked with an almost satisfying bang.
"So, crisis over?"Owen asked.
"For now, the rest is mostly harmless, so let's go clean up and we can have a couple of hours to sleep till the girls get in." Jack said watching Ianto yawn widely.
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Jack watched Ianto sleep, he found it relaxing, watching the young man's chest rise and fall steadily. He'd convinced the two other men to take the bed, saying he'd had enough sleep and would be fine, which was true, he'd been sleeping a lot more with Ianto wrapped tight in his arms, keeping him safe through the long night hours. He watched the pair lay cuddled together, rather like puppies and he found it endearing. They were snuggled together, Ianto's head was resting comfortably on Owen's stomach, Owen had wrapped his arms around Ianto's knees, his cheek resting against Ianto's toasty warm calves. Jack almost wished he could take a picture, but he didn't dare move in case he woke them up. The pair usually argued, although most of it was bravado and Jack assumed it was a way to release tension, what better way than to have a verbal sparring match with someone who was quick witted and ready with the quick cut down quips.
He watched carefully for any signs that Ianto was having a nightmare, he'd had one but usually it was hard to spot, since he barely moved, he trembled slightly and his breath hitched, other than that it was as if he was sleeping calmly. But so far that seemed to be far away, all the pain of the situation. The people it hurt, it all seemed to be hidden and he was thankful for the moment's reprieve all the parties could have, except himself obviously, but he'd gladly shoulder the pains for now.
He didn't notice any obvious movements from either men and settled down comfortably, smiling as Owen made a funny snuffling sort of snoring noise, it was kind of cute, even though Owen would kill him for saying it, but to Jack it showed that Owen, no matter how much he tried was still human and that was an achievement. It meant that he and the rest of them hadn't been swallowed up by this place yet and were still able to pick at those annoying little niggles humans seem to have, the negative body image and so on.
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He blinked awake, not realizing he'd fallen asleep, when he heard a slight keeling noise from the younger of the beds occupants and he got onto the bed carefully, trying not to wake Owen. Which proved to be a pointless gesture as the other man blinked awake slowly and turned a glare Jack's way till he'd seen why the other had awoken him, he scooted up next to Jack who was holding Ianto's head against his steady beating heart and making small hushing noises and running his fingers through slightly sweaty hair.
"Is he okay?" Owen asked in barely a whisper.
"Nightmare, not sure what of yet, he gets them occasionally, don't know if it's an old pain or a new one." Jack said looking at Owen as he calmed the Welshman who wrapped an arm around his waist and refused to let go of the death grip he had on Jack's shirt, even in his slumber.
"I don't think I would have noticed if you didn't wake me." Owen said his voice tired.
"No, it took me a while to spot it, he doesn't really let on." Jack agreed.
Owen watched with interest as Jack carefully folded Ianto into his arms, their bodies flush together and Jack making none descript cooing noises to calm the troubled mind of their colleague. The Welshman quickly quietened down and Jack let out a small relieved sigh.
"What time is it?" Owen asked noticing for the first time there was no clock in the room, and it wasn't like he could gauge by the location of the sun underground, but then you really couldn't in Cardiff anyway.
"About 6:30." Jack replied looking briefly at his wrist watch.
"Too early." Owen whined dropping back on the bed.
"Tell me about it, but the girls will be in soon." Jack replied running his fingers across Ianto's shoulders.
"Guess I need to get up then." Owen said, but he made no move to do so, just laid there splayed out like he was making a snow angel.
"Yeah, we should." Jack said, he too made no move to get up, just tightened his grip on the Welshman minutely and kissing his forehead, he could feel the young man stirring and tried not to do anything to wake him.
It was in vain though because Ianto's beautiful blue eyes blinked open slowly and Jack smiled at the sight. Staring into those deep pools that he secretly adored, as much as people thought he adored Gwen, if anyone saw the looks Jack and Ianto exchanged then there would be no doubt who truly owned Jack's heart.
"Hey sleepy head." Jack greeted quietly and Ianto gave him the barest of smiles and Jack basked in its faint glow. Ianto wasted no time lying in bed; instead he pushed himself into a seated position and rubbed at his eyes to clear them of the sleepy haze he was experiencing.
"I'm going to have a shower, then I'll put some coffee on." He said pushing himself from the bed and stretching his long supple body to release all the pains of sleep and get ready for the day.
"Want some company?" Jack said with a faint leer, he could control himself, but the lines slipped out, no matter how careful he was trying to be.
Ianto gave him a look and glanced briefly at Owen before shaking his head and collecting some of his clothes from where he had stored them in the make shift bedroom.
"What was that about?" Owen asked, vaguely confused by the exchange.
"Ianto not wanting to act weak in front of people. He's alright most of the time but at the moment walking through the dark recesses of the hub on his own is getting to him." Jack replied, he knew he could trust Owen with this, the doctor may be a bit of an argumentative child sometimes, but not now and not with this.
"Well, why are you still sat here then?" he asked getting to his own two feet and scratching his cheek which was covered in stubble.
"I'm letting him decide, if he wants company he'll let me know." Jack assured, or at least he hoped Ianto would, he'd seen Ianto slip his blue tooth into his pocket and hoped the younger man would call if he needed him.
"Come on; let's get ready for the day." Jack said throwing an arm round Owen's shoulder and moving to the main section of the hub, to face another day in the life of torchwood.
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So, next chapter will hopefully contain some lemon if I can get it right, but I'm getting close to the end now and there will be a sequel, but I don't know when. Anyway, please review and thank you for reading.